Keir Starmer takes aim at Rishi Sunak over Boris Johnson's resignation honours list, while Sunak attacks Labour for picking peers like Tom Watson. Matt, Tim Shipman, Isabel Hardman and Patrick Maguire pause and unpack the exchanges from the House of Commons. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether being in the Lords is all it's cracked up to be, whether abortion laws are fit for purpose and as a council moves to ban ice-cream vans , Robert tells his best ice cream joke...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Daniel Finkelstein and Henry Zeffman are back to discuss the battle over Boris Johnson's honours list, why the former prime minister annoys Rishi Sunak so much, and whether there's any chance of Labour winning all four by-elections on the horizon. Plus: As the Covid inquiry public hearings get underway, Matt looks at the big questions to be answered with a line-up of experts from the Times and the Sunday Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 13, 2023•45 min
Labour veteran Dame Margaret Hodge sits down for The Exit Interviews, our new series featuring MPs leaving Parliament at the next election. She talks to Matt about her 30-year career in the Commons including being neighbours with Tony Blair, her battles with the BNP, and what she really said to Jeremy Corbyn when she confronted him over antisemitism. Plus: Columnists Iain Martin and Libby Purves discuss whether Keir Starmer is the luckiest man in politics after a weekend of Conservative and SNP ...
Jun 12, 2023•45 min
Former US President Donald Trump has been criminally charged for the second time in three months, but is still the favourite to secure the Republican nomination in the race for the White House. Can any of the other candidates stop him? Matt speaks to Trump's former Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Plus, columnists India Knight and James Marriott talk about how to have a barbecue in a heatwave , why India hates emails , and should we leave beaches covered in seaweed ? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Jun 09, 2023•49 min
Daniel Finkelstein, Times columnist and friend of the podcast, tells the story of his parents' remarkable journey from the Soviet Gulags and the Nazi concentration camps of World War II to safety in north London. Matt joins him at the Wiener Holocaust Library, home to his grandfather's archive documenting the Nazi rise to power, to discuss his book Hitler, Stalin, Mum & Dad: A Family Memoir of Miraculous Survival . Plus Manveen Rana and Matt Frei discuss what Rishi Sunak achieved on his trip...
Jun 08, 2023•52 min
With Rishi Sunak away in America, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden faces off against Labour's number two, Angela Rayner. Matt, Patrick Maguire and Lara Spirit pause and unpack the exchanges as the two trade blows over the Covid inquiry, and Rayner tells Dowden his punchlines are 'dire'. PLUS: Columnists Hadley Freeman and Oliver Kamm discuss weight loss drugs , Oxfam's controversial new advert , and Libby Purves reviews the actors reconstructing Prince Harry's courtroom evidence . Hosted on A...
Jun 07, 2023•59 min
Rishi Sunak is off to meet Joe Biden at the White House for the first time and will hope to make a big impression (or at least get the President to pronounce his name correctly). Matt discusses the the diplomatic dos and don'ts in Washington D.C. with a former ambassador and hears from advisers who learned the hard way what happens when a trip goes wrong. Plus Columnists Quentin Letts and Henry Zeffman discuss how to solve a problem like Ed Milliband , and whether George Eustice was right when h...
Jun 06, 2023•46 min
Matt is back with the first episode in a new series, The Exit Interviews, sitting down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to talk about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics. Former cabinet secretary George Eustice worked on his family farm, stood for election for UKIP and went on to be press secretary to David Cameron. He talks about Brexit, trade deals, and why Liz Truss didn't listen to him. Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylve...
Jun 05, 2023•46 min
Patrick Maguire is in for Matt, looking at Labour's 1983 manifesto - 'the longest suicide note in history' - 40 years on, with historian Phil Tinline. He also finds out how to write a modern manifesto with two people with first-hand experience, Ayesha Hazarika and Robert Colvile. PLUS: Timandra Harkness and Jimmy McLoughlin discuss Boris Johnson's WhatsApps , whether MPs who are under police investigation should be barred from Parliament , and whether AI is an existential threat . Hosted on Acas...
Jun 02, 2023•44 min
Whether it's a love of Kylie, cricket or beer, Australia and Britain have plenty in common when it comes to popular culture - and politics, with a new wave of strategists from down under stirring things up in Westminster. Patrick Maguire in for Matt Chorley speaks to Senator James McGrath, who worked on Boris Johnson's mayoral campaign, John McTernan, who worked for Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and Kathy Lette, Australian-British author and comedy writer. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and...
Jun 01, 2023•42 min
It was the leadership contest that finally ended Margaret Thatcher's premiership - even though she won in the first round. The year was 1990, when the veteran prime minister took on her challenger Michael Heseltine but failed to deliver the knockout blow. Patrick Maguire in for Matt Chorley speaks to Conservative peer and pollster Lord Hayward, who marked the books for the first ballot and knew how widespread disenchantment with the Iron Lady had become. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert...
May 31, 2023•28 min
While Matt is away, Patrick Maguire is joined by columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Miranda Green to discuss whether the government should hand Boris Johnson's private messages to the Covid inquiry , whether the PM's country house Chequers could be turned into Camp David, and whether Labour can sell plans to borrow billions to the voters at the next election . Plus: Patrick's been to meet Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith to discuss her campaign to legalise assisted dying following the ...
May 30, 2023•42 min
Matt is away for the bank holiday, but in the meantime we have another guest episode from the team at Stories of Our Times - one remarkable story, told in depth, each day. Microsoft has found itself in a bitter war of words with both its gaming rival Sony and the UK authorities over a multi-billion dollar takeover bid of games developer Activision Blizzard . After the UK’s competition watchdog blocked the deal, what does it say for Britain’s post-Brexit business strategy? Jenny Kleeman speaks to...
May 29, 2023•28 min
Cleo Watson has gone from being deputy chief of staff for Boris Johnson to writing a satirical 'bonkbuster' set in and around Westminster, Downing Street and Chequers. Matt talks to her about life inside Number 10, partygate, working for Barack Obama and Dominic Cummings - and we get Mariella Frostrup to read out some of the novel's raciest moments. Plus: Columnists James Marriott and Gaby Hinsliff talk about sending more northerners to the House of Lords , Boris Johnson's new house in the count...
May 26, 2023•48 min
Undecided voters from across England make up this month's Times Radio Focus Group. They give their verdict on record levels of net migration, and their damning assessment of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer (provided they'd even heard of the Labour leader). Matt is joined by James Johnson of J.L. Partners to analyse their answers. Plus Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell discuss Labour talking tough on immigration, the Times investigation into online fraud , and whether the Chelsea Flower Show is a fe...
May 25, 2023•43 min
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer battle it out over migration, inflation and apprenticeships. Matt, Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit pause and unpack the exchanges, and Tim makes a bet on Boris Johnson's name cropping up. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether students are getting a raw deal , Robert's trip to Iraq with the late author Martin Amis, and why Alice has started keeping bees . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 24, 2023•1 hr 3 min
After more than a decade of Conservative promises, targets and legislation to cut the rate of net migration, official figures are expected to show it has more than doubled from pre-Brexit levels. Matt discusses the impact of migration with guests including Madeleine Sumption, David Goodhart and James Kirkup. Plus: Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Henry Zeffman discuss whether Dominic Raab says stupid things, Rishi Sunak's headache over what to do about Suella Braverman and the latest 'anti-woke...
May 23, 2023•41 min
After years of decline north of the border, can a win for Labour in Scotland clear the path for Keir Starmer to secure a majority and get the keys to No 10? Matt talks to Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar, Times Scottish Political Editor Kieran Andrews and pollster Emily Gray from Ipsos Scotland. Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss whether Labour's promises have cut through with the voters , the London theatre holding a 'black only' night and Giles Coren explains what it'...
May 22, 2023•40 min
For more than a decade Andrew Parsons was the official Downing Street photographer - chronicling life at No 10 with every prime minister from David Cameron to Rishi Sunak. He talks to Matt about capturing everything from David Cameron pre-emptively writing his resignation letter in 2015, to THAT lock down breaking birthday party in the Cabinet room. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss the changing makeup of the modern family , the surprising number of prime ministers who los...
May 19, 2023•42 min
Sir Richard Dearlove began his career in the intelligence services at the height of the Cold War, and went on to become 'C' - the head of MI6. He tells Matt what he thinks will happen to Putin, Trump, and why China is the biggest threat to the West today. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris discuss Rishi Sunak backing away from his pledge on migration , whether Nigel Farage should be in the House of Lords, and which politicians sell the most Toby Jugs . Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...
May 18, 2023•42 min
It's Deputy Prime Minister's questions with new DPM Oliver Dowden facing Angela Rayner for the first time. Matt, Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit pause and unpack the exchanges as Rayner accuses the Tories of being on a "conveyor belt of crisis", while Dowden compares her and Keir Starmer to This Morning's Holly and Phil. Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss Keir Starmer's pledge to bring house prices down , why men are at fault for the falling b irthrate, and they taste Tom Hank...
May 17, 2023•56 min
Exclusive YouGov polling for Times Radio shows that plenty of Labour voters - and even more Liberal Democrats - would like to see a coalition between the two parties after the next election. Matt discusses the history of Lib Dem 'equidistance' with former advisers to Paddy Ashdown and party leader Sir Ed Davey. Plus: Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Henry Zeffman discuss whether the next Tory leadership contest is underway , Keir Starmer's relationship with Labour's council leaders and votes fo...
May 16, 2023•49 min
Turks are at a historic turning point - choosing between two radically different visions for the future of their country. With the battle for the presidency almost certain to go to a second round and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan facing his biggest challenge for two decades, Matt and a panel of experts explain what it means for democracy around the world. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on whether religion in politics can translate from the US to the UK, and Labour's plan to make worki...
May 15, 2023•38 min
A Conservative prime minister, soaring inflation, strikes bringing the country to a standstill - and Britain hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. Welcome to 1974. Matt looks at what happened when Ted Heath asked 'who governs Britain', and considers whether Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer could end up following the path of Heath and Wilson. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss whether Zelensky should speak at Eurovision , Keir Starmer abandoning his autobiography , and who is Mil...
May 12, 2023•45 min
Rob Burley has had a ringside seat at some of the biggest political TV grillings for more than a quarter of a century, working with interviewers including Andrew Neil, Jeremy Paxman and Andrew Marr. He joins Matt to discuss his book, 'Why is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me?' , and the secret to getting a politician to give a straight answer. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Syed discuss why more young people than ever are living with their parents , whether we've reached peak coalition s...
May 11, 2023•46 min
The star of children's TV show Rainbow joins Matt, Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit to pause and unpack the exchanges at PMQs. As Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer go head-to-head across the despatch box, does Starmer sound a bit like Zippy? Plus Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton on John Major's call for fewer prisoners, how seriously the NHS takes dementia and why the Japanese are taking training courses to learn how to smile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Matt discusses exclusive YouGov polling examining the reasons why 2019 Conservative voters are switching to Labour. Are they really embracing Keir Starmer's party, or just temporarily repelled by the Tories? Plus: Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Henry Zeffman discuss speculation about a hung parliament, how Labour should handle questions about forming a coalition, and whether the police were too heavy-handed at the Coronation . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 09, 2023•47 min
Forget the Coronation concert - Matt pits politicians singing and playing instruments against one another, and discusses the state of live music in the UK with guests including Wheatus frontman Brendan B. Brown. Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss whether the spirit of volunteering can be revived, did the Conservatives get a free pass after their local election losses , and should you bet on Penny Mordaunt as next Tory leader ? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
May 08, 2023•36 min
Millions have had their say in elections across England, but what do the results tell us about the chances of Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer ending up in Downing Street? Matt presents the best analysis from Times journalists Henry Zeffman, Daniel Finkelstein and Lara Spirit, and interviews key figures from the poitical parties. Plus Columnists India Knight and James Mariott on whether the Tories can win without building houses , which mango chutney to put in your Coronation chicken , and whether Ja...
May 05, 2023•49 min
Matt talks to Lord President of the Privy Council Penny Mordaunt about her role in the Coronation, where she'll carry the four-foot sword of state in the King's procession. He also heads to the Tower of London to hear about the history of the Crown Jewels. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris on the future of the Commonwealth under the new King , how Turkish elections could change the face of Europe, and whether Dundee cake should be a protected food. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
May 04, 2023•43 min
